Inscape and Instress but the answer is a Mystery.

So in trying to describe Inscape and Instress on Friday as well as writing about it in my past blogs, I don't think I really clearly understood or explained the two words. Like I said, these words are made up...you can't find them in Webster's or even Oxford for that matter, the only true definition of Inscape and Instress comes from Hopkins' own poetry.

First I want to thank Lisa for finding "As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame" for class. Wicked excellent poem. It goes great with "The Wreck of the Deutschland" and is a hell of a lot easier to begin to understand than "Deutschland."

First the title and the first line "As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame" has to be one of my favorite lines of poetry and according to me, one of the best lines of poetry ever written...so there. The best part, I couldn't even begin to tell you why, it just is, end of discussion.

Anyway, for those (myself included) a bit confused on the two terms Instress and Inscape. Read the poem on Lisa's blog or here.

Dr. S made the meaning of Inscape pretty clear is but I will reiterate from the poem:

"Each mortal thing does one thing and the same ...

Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came...

Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is"

These three lines completely define Inscape. The "purpose" or the "uniqueness" or the "thingness" of something is the Inscape of that thing. Important to realize with a devoutly religious Hopkins however, is that that "purpose," "uniqueness," and "thingness" come directly from God, it "acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is." The "purpose," "uniqueness" and "thingness," as created, spoken and instilled by the Great Maker of Things, is the Inscape, meaning there is an answer to the question, a one and only Inscape exists. The tricky part of Inscape is understanding Inscape. And understanding Inscape, is Instress.

Luckily since we are the supremely made being on earth, made in his likeness, with more than a few of his tricks, (a super slick brain with the power to remember all that we have forgotten...which is everything) we can hear what

each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Every object exists with it's Inscape emblazoned on itself (like the fiery Kingfishers or the Flaming Dragonflies) or ringing from itself (like the ringing stone, telling string, or name flinging Bow). All we have to do is hear it, see it, experience it, whatever. To Instress (because I think it both a noun and verb) is to hear the inscape, the one answer. Seeing and understanding this Great Cosmic Watermark on something is "finding the instress of the inscape."

How you ask? How do All Sentient Beings reach Instress through all of the "distracting distractions?" I'm not entirely sure but I would imagine may have something to do with the following (though sadly not Optimus Prime):

The figure of capable imagination-Stevens

Negative Capability- Keats

One on whom nothing is lost- Henry James

Seeing into the life of things- Wordsworth

Aesthetic Hero- Pater

And why? Why you ask, Why discover Instress? Why become empty so that you can be filled? Why be so perceptive nothing is lost? Why strain imagination to it's capability? Why peer into the life of things? Why not act like Gabriel Conroy? Why be an Aesthetic Hero? It all seems like such work. Work that as Tai said "requires energy, energy requires food, and food requires money." Why fall into debt (or maybe depth?) with ourselves? Once again I don't rightly know but this line from "Wreck of the Deutschland" may help.

Since, tho’ he is under the world’s splendour and wonder,
His mystery must be instressed, stressed;
For I greet him the days I meet him, and bless when I understand

We pursue this knowledge, this instress, because as it all stands right now, it is a mystery. Mysteries are meant to be fun. Mysteries are meant to be exciting. Mysteries are meant to be painful. But most importantly, mysteries are meant to be solved.

Ask the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, they never met a mystery they didn't like and neither should we (they may also have a few mystery solving tricks to share). Besides wouldn't you love to hear God say in the most benevolent way possible, "And I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids."